Astrophobia

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

[Jonathan Crane, PhD, scans the Plane with bespectacled eyes in his very nice suit. To all appearances, the Plane has just won itself a new university professor]

Acrophobia would hardly be an irrational fear at present. Indeed, it would be very [takes a step] very [another step] practical. This is possibly one of the very few instances in a normal individual’s life where siderophobia might be considered rational as well. And so they would cease to be phobias.

Incongruous but coherent structure... far too lucid to be any breed of hallucination or dream. The idea of it being true space is out of the question, of course.

[picks up a discarded hat, examining it] The two most likely options are thus illusion or reality. I wonder which it is. [sets the hat down again and carries on his way]

Comments

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

The death penalty was only revoked this year. Most, if not all of my patients, would have faced the electric chair if they hadn't been sent to the asylum. Harleen may have been spared, both because of the general sentiment against killing women and because many of her crimes were done for love, but her lover would more than certainly not be so lucky.

[madamemoiselle.livejournal.com]

{Frowns, that's awfully familiar}

Well...It's good that it was revoked.

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

I agree. The practice is barbaric.

[madamemoiselle.livejournal.com]

So what do they do now? Do they not kill criminals anymore?

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

In many states, yes. In New Jersey, now that the legislation has been passed, convicted criminals will go to prison to serve their sentence, where hopefully one of the programs designed to rehabilitate prisoners will work. Those declared legally insane, as before, go to asylums for the criminally insane. It means more second chances even for those who some may say don't deserve them.

[madamemoiselle.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't think that's true. Even if they're bad people, they can have a chance, I think.

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

[smiles!]

I agree. It's why I do what I do. In the hopes that people will continue to turn around as Harleen and Edward did.

[madamemoiselle.livejournal.com]

{She smiles back}

It's a good thing to hope for. If not for a person here, to be honest, I...probably would still be a terrible person. So I'm grateful to him, and I'm happier now.

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

That's very fortunate. I think I'll have to keep you in mind next time we start telling horror stories about nightmares at Arkham.

[madamemoiselle.livejournal.com]

Oh, no, I wouldn't like to hear, really.

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

[smiles]

I meant as a reason not to fear any of the vampires.

[madamemoiselle.livejournal.com]

Ah! {She blushes a bit} Ne, then that's better. Thank you.

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

Thank you, and whoever it was that helped you.

[madamemoiselle.livejournal.com]

Oh, that would be Sam Tyler. He's a policeman, funnily enough, but he's a really wonderful person.

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

An officer of the law? In my experience, they are not the most interested in redemption. It's nice to find that experience to be not universal.

[madamemoiselle.livejournal.com]

Well...Sam is certainly different from any other policemen I've met. Even the other ones here.

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

Are there many police officers here?

[from his calm and almost disinterested tone, you would not know that he's scouting out enemy resources]

[madamemoiselle.livejournal.com]

Um...Not really, no. There's only a few.

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

That is unfortunate.

[madamemoiselle.livejournal.com]

I suppose. As much as I like the ones here...I don't know if I'd like anymore. I think I got lucky. Ne, I mean, since I did some bad things before.

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

But you have rehabilitated, and the support of your police officer friend. I'm sure that the law would not wish to disturb you further.

[madamemoiselle.livejournal.com]

Ne, you'd be surprised.

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

I hope not. I like to have faith in the institutions that support society.

[madamemoiselle.livejournal.com]

Then I suppose you're a bit more optimistic than me.

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

I have to be, don't I? I am part of those institutions.